Package with self sealing closure



y 1955 1... 1. VOLCKENING 3,184,121

PACKAGE WITH SELF SEALING CLOSURE Filed Aug. 1, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

May 18, 1965 1.. 1. VOLCKENING PACKAGE WITH SELF SEALING CLOSURE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 1, 1965 ZZQ QJ, [6/51 5222 1 a I ATTORNEYUnited States Patent Lee (Iompany, Newark, N.J., a corporation ofDelaware Filed Aug. 1, 1963, Ser. L o. 299,383 1 Claim. (Cl. 222-213)This invention relates in general to packages for dis pensing liquidsand other fluent substances or commodities, for example, eye drops, nosedrops, iodine, cod liver oil or the like, and more particularly theinvention contemplates a combined package for the fluent commodity andmeans for applying the commodity from the package to, for example, aneye or nostril, or for dispensing the commodity at the will of the user,either as a stream or in drops.

A primary object of the invention is to provide such a package having adischarge passage that is openable upon application of pressure to thewalls of the package at the will of the user and is automaticallyclosable and substantially air-tight after each discharge of the fluentcommodity so that the package can be used several times whilemaintaining the fluent commodity in sanitary condition, and thepossibilty of the escape of the fluent commodity from the packagebetween the uses of the package shall be reduced to a minimum.

The invention especially contemplates a package of the type comprisingat least two flexible layers or sheets of package material such as ametal foil or laminated sheets of cellulose acetate and polyethylene, orother suitable synthetic plastic material permanently sealed togather inzones forming and bounding between the layers a commodity containingcompartment having resilient self-sustaining walls with an elongateddischarge passage openable between the layers, and another object of theinvention is to provide such a package embodying a novel and improvedconstruction wherein the discharge passage shall be openable uponapplication of pressure exteriorly to the portions of the layers formingthe walls of the compartment and shall be automatically closed uponrelease of such pressure.

Further objects are to provide a package of this character wherein theportions of the layers forming the side walls of the discharge passageare unsealed and have a normal tendency to move into contact with eachother to close the passage, and said portions of the layers are alsoautomatically drawn into contact with each other by the partial vacuumor suction formed in the compartment upon resilient movement of thewalls of the compartment away from each other after release from thewalls of pressure applied to the walls to discharge a portion of thefluent commodity; and to provide a package of this nature so constructedthat the discharge passage is initially positively sealed to protect thecommodity for long periods of time against contamination and escape fromthe package, for example, during transportation and on the shelves of astore.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a package of thecharacter hereinbefore described wherein the portions of the layersforming the walls of the discharge passage and the portions of thelayers forming the compartment walls, shall have associated therewith ina novel and improved manner, means for directing the fluent commodityfrom the compartment to a predetermined zone of the discharge passage,thereby to insure the application of an adequate pressure to the wallsof the discharge passage at the proper point to obtain the optimumdischarge of the fluent commodity.

Other objects, advantages and results of the invention will be broughtout with the following description in conjunction with the acompanyingdrawings in which- FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a completeand sealed package embodying the invention, showing the dischargepassage extending upwardly;

FIGURE 1A is a fragmentary front elevational view of the discharge endof the package with the initial discharge passage sealing extensionsremoved for dispensing of the fluent commodity through the passage;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the package; I

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of the discharge end of the package;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged central vertical sectional view approximately onthe plane of the line 4-4 in FIGURE 1 with the package inverted;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing the package with theinitial sealing extensions for the discharge passage removed as shown inFIGURE 1A;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 showing the manner of pressingthe compartment walls toward each other for dispensing the fluentcommodity from the compartment through the discharge passage;

FIGURE 7 is like FIGURE 6 but showing the package with the walls movedaway from each other upon release of the pressure on the walls and withthe discharge passage closed; and

FIGURE 8 is a horizontal sectional view on the plane of the line 8-8 ofFIGURE 6.

Specifically describing the invention the package is shown as formed oftwo identical sections which comprise the respective layers 1 and 2 of asuitable material such as hereinbefore described, sealed together inzones 3 that form and bound between them a commodity containingcompartment A and an elongated discharge passage 4 the extremity ofwhich is normally tightly and permanently sealed by a sealing zone 3athat constitutes an extension and continuation of the zone 3.Preferably, the portions of the layers forming the walls of thecompartment A are self-sustaining but resilient so as to provide formomentary pressing of said walls toward each other to force some of thefluent commodity designated B, through the discharge passage and forsubsequent resilient movement of said Walls away from each other andtoward their original condition. The portions 4a and 4b of the layersforming the discharge passage are unsealed and free for limited movementaway from and into contact with each other upon application of pressureto the walls of the compartment exteriorly thereof and upon release ofsaid pressure from said walls, respectively.

The package may be formed in any suitable manner. For example, asdescribed in the copending application of Stephen A. Van Mil, Jr. andJoseph L. Arcudi Serial No. 218,006 filed August 20, 1962, the twolayers 1 and 2 can be molded to preform complemental main recesses 5with flange portions 5a projecting from the boundries of the recesses.Initially these portions 50 of the layers bounding the recesses aresealed together in the zones 3 so as to partially form the compartmentand leave the remaining portions of the layers unsealed to provide afilling opening for the deposit of a commodity B, such as liquid, intothe compartment, and after the filling operation the unsealed portionsare sealed to close the filling opening, and to form the dischargepassage 4 and the sealing extensions 3a to complete the package.

In use of the package, the sealing extensions 3a at the outer ordischarge end of the discharge passage 4 are removed along a tear lineextending across and through the portions 4a and 4b of the layersforming the walls of the discharge passage as shown in FIGURES la and 5.If the material of which the layers are formed is not tearable, thelayers may be cut by suitable means such as shears,

and guide notches 6 may be formed in the flange portions a to facilitatethe tearing or cutting operations.

After the sealing extensions 3 have been removed so that the outer ordischarge end of the discharge passage 4 is exposed between the layersas shown in FIGURE 1A, the package is inverted as shown in FIGURE 5, andpressure is applied to the walls of the compartment exteriorly thereof,as by the thumb and index finger of the users end, as shown in FIGURE 6,so that the pressure thus created on the fluent commodity forces thecommodity through the discharge passage 4, thereby opening the passageas best shown in FIGURE 6 to permit either drops B or a stream of thecommodity to be dispensed, as desired, and and dependent upon thepressure applied to the compartment walls. It will be noted that duringthe application of the pressure to the compartment walls the walls aremoved toward each other and to some extent deformed from their originalcondition shown in FIGURE 5, and when the pressure on the compartmentwalls is released, said walls move away from each other and toward theiroriginal condition, as shown in FIGURE 7, thereby creating a suction orpartial vacuum in the compartment that draws the walls 40 and 4b of thedischarge passage into tight compartment sealing contact with eachother. Thus the possibility of unintended escape of the commodity fromthe compartment is reduced to a minimum and the commodity is maintainedin sanitary condition and protected from contact with the ambientatmosphere. Therefore, the package can be opened and used several timeswith a minimum of possibility of contamination or escape of thecommodity between uses.

It is desirable to provide means for concentrating and directing flow ofthe fluent commodity from the compartment into the discharge passage ina narrow stream so as to facilitate the spreading apart of the walls ofthe discharge passage under the pressure of the commodity beingdischarged. For example, each layer 1 and 2 may be formed with a taperedextension recess 5a the smaller end of which is directed toward theouter end of the corresponding wall 4a or 4b of the discharge passage asbest shown in FIGURE 1, and when the two layers are sealed together,said extension recesses form between them what is in effect a nozzle 7whose walls are rigid relative to wall portions 4a and 4b. The innerends of the extension recesses, that is, the ends that merge intov therecess 5 are disposed close to the sealing zone 3 so that the portionsof the passage walls 4a and 4b between the extension recesses 5a and thesealing zone 3 are relatively unyielding, whereby the flow of thecommodity is concentrated in the nozzle provided by the extensionrecesses 5a and the stream of the commodity issues from the smaller endof the nozzle between the discharge passage walls 4a and 4b intermediatethe width of the passage. This results in a concentration of thepressure of the out-flowing commodity in a narrow zone which facilitatesthe ejection of the commodity under adequate pressure and in a smallstream or in drops.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the layers 1 and2 of the package material may be secured together with a fluid tightjoint in any suitable manner, preferably by heat sealing. Where thelayers a e t b6 heat sealed, the contacting surfaces of the layers ofmaterials, will be, of course either inherently fusible or coated with afusible film; for example, where the layers are formed of laminatedsheets of cellulose acetate and a heat scalable material, for example avinyl compound or polyethylene, the fusible films will be in contactwith each other and sealed together to make the package. It will also beunderstood that in addition to the sealed zones being substantiallyfluid tight, the layers 1 and 2 will also be substantially impervious soas to prevent an ingress of ambient air into the package and egress orevaporation of the commodity from the package through the packagingmaterial.

I claim:

A package for a fluent commodity comprising at least two layers of thinflexible material of uniform thickness sealed together in zones formingand bounding between them a commodity-containing compartment and anelongated discharge passage therefor having opposed flat walls openablebetween the layers to'provide an outlet at one end, the portions of saidlayers forming the walls of said compartment being self-sustaining butresilient providing for momentary pressingof said walls toward eachother to force some of said commodity through said discharge passage andfor subsequent resilient movement of said walls away from each other andtoward their original condition, the portions of said layers forming thefiat walls of said discharge passage being flexible and of uniformthickness and free for limited movement away from and into contact witheach other upon application of pressure to the walls of the compartmentexteriorly thereof and upon release of said pressure from said walls,respectively, to permit flow of the commodity out of the compartmentthrough said outlet and to seal the outlet and discharge passage byaction of partial vacuum in the compartment, respectively, said layershaving been preformed with identical main recesses and with taperedextension recesses, said main recess of each layer being complemental tothe main recess of the other layer forming said compartment and eachextension recess being complemental to the other extension recessforming a tapered relatively rigid-walled nozzle whose larger endcommunicates with said compartment and whose smaller end terminatesbetween said flat walls of the discharge passage intermediate the lengthand width of said discharge passage, the outlet end of said dischargepassage being initially sealed by extensions of said layers sealedtogether beyond said outlet end, said extensions being removable along atear line extending across said discharge passage outwardly of saidnozzle to expose said outlet between the edges of said flat walls ofsaid discharge passage for subsequent discharge of the commodity.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,3 50,931 6/44Salfisberg 2222 15 X 2,546,709 3/51 Abarr 222-2l3 2,663,461 12/53 Brown222490 X 2,904,225 9/59 Earles 2222 12 X LOUIS J. DEMBO, PrimaryExaminer.

